The Democratic National Committee today slapped Republicans with charges of trying to suppress the minority vote, which traditionally tilts Democratic.
DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz accused Republicans of launching a "full-scale attack on the public's right to vote." She said that GOP efforts in states to curb instant voter registration and early voting and require photo identification at the polls to fight alleged fraud could push minorities, especially Hispanics and African-Americans, away from voting. She claimed that repeated investigations into voter fraud have found very little evidence that it occurs. [Vote now: Who is your pick for the 2012 GOP nomination?]
Her comments are part of a new DNC focus on alleged GOP voter suppression in advance of the 2012 presidential election. Today, the party unveiled a Web page, www.protectingthevote.com, which describes voter registration tactics in the states. "These restrictive measures have one thing in common: they make it harder to vote, specifically for minority voters," said Wasserman Schult
The Republican National Committee rejected the charges, however. Officials said there is evidence of voter fraud. In just one popularized case, for example, they note that ACORN—the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now—in 2008 was accused of handling 400,000 fraudulent registrations.
[Read: Republican-led Voter Restrictions Are Rigging Democracy]
"The American people overwhelmingly agree that protecting the integrity of our democracy begins at the ballot box. States are putting forth common sense proposals to protect the right to vote. Photo IDs are required to drive a car, collect government assistance, and fly on a plane," said RNC spokesperson Kirsten Kukowski. "Knowing President Obama is facing a steep climb to re-election, Democrats are resorting to scare tactics rather than addressing voter fraud cases such as ACORN as we've seen in previous elections."
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conrad of CA 2:11PM December 02, 2011
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